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rank

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noun

1
as in ranking
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement attained the highest rank in the Freemasons

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in row
a series of people or things arranged side by side rank upon rank of cavalry came thundering down the hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

rank

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adjective

1
as in rampant
growing thickly and vigorously covered with trumpet vines so rank you couldn't see the trellis beneath them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word rank distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of rank are fetid, fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, putrid, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How do fusty and musty relate to one another, in the sense of rank?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic
the musty odor of a damp cellar

When is malodorous a more appropriate choice than rank?

The synonyms malodorous and rank are sometimes interchangeable, but malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

In what contexts can noisome take the place of rank?

While the synonyms noisome and rank are close in meaning, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When might putrid be a better fit than rank?

Although the words putrid and rank have much in common, putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

How are the words stinking and fetid related as synonyms of rank?

Both stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rank
Verb
While Clark was first in fan votes, and third among the media, her fellow WNBA players ranked her ninth among the guards. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 Toronto's starters have been among the worst in baseball, with the group ranking No. 26 in ERA in Major League Baseball. Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Noun
From building eponymous fashion labels to dominating industries such as sports, music, movies and commerce, these celebs and public figures have joined the ranks of the wealthiest people in the world. Diane J. Cho, People.com, 28 June 2025 All modules are organized as single (64-bit) rank, despite the way each DDR5 rank is divided. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
Adjective
The purple efforts are beautiful and rank high among the best tube station decor. Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 Both of those slots now rank as new peaks for the decades-old title. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rank
Verb
  • There was a lot of CGI involved to add the sense of height, as well as have the rope.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 28 June 2025
  • There is a road closure on Monarch Highway from exit 225A to I-35 North.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Cashews are classified as tree nuts, one of the nine major food allergens.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
  • More than half of the cases — 417 — were classified as immigration violations.
    Norma Galeana, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Introducing the 2025 Fortune 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in America.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 July 2025
  • England currently stands at No. 5 in the FIFA world rankings after reaching as high as No. 2 last year.
    Molly Geary, Sportico.com, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • We must be reminded of the meaning and importance of human dignity, freedom and equality in each generation, especially as those ideals are expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
    Hans Zeiger, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 July 2025
  • Somehow Harold had found out, and come to sit with me, and out of respect for my dignity had never mentioned it afterward.
    Nicole Krauss, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
Noun
  • Albania ranks at the bottom for the second year in a row, with just 16.0% of its sites classified as excellent—a sharp drop from 41.2% last year.
    Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Whether front row at fashion shows, seated on late-night couches, or commanding the stage at major global events, Black celebrities continued to make their presence known with style, substance, and star power.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Tariffs and the economic uncertainty haven’t impacted prices too deeply just yet, though May’s inflation inched up more than expected last month, reaching 2.7%, according to the core personal consumption expenditures index—excluding food and energy categories.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The second category of safeguards involves imposing restrictions on companies that synthesize nucleic acids.
    Billy Perrigo, Time, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The speculation was rampant all around the league when news of James’ decision broke, with rival executives wondering if this was a precursor to a trade request (James, remember, has a no-trade clause and could thus control any such move).
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 30 June 2025
  • Rybnik is one of Poland’s largest producers of coal, and with that abundance has come rampant consumption.
    Skylar Knight, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
  • Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
    Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019

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Cite this Entry

“Rank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rank. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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